


The Sweetest Surrender of Winter

by loubuttons



Series: Stark Raving Mad [13]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Gen, Non-Graphic Description of Injuries, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Platonic Cuddling, Short & Sweet, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-04
Updated: 2019-12-04
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:33:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21673012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loubuttons/pseuds/loubuttons
Summary: “Peter, I’ve always been honest with you.”“What does that mean?”Tony tries to still his shaking hands. He looks away, attempting to control his expression. Peter’s a smart kid; he knows when he’s hiding something.
Relationships: James "Rhodey" Rhodes & Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Series: Stark Raving Mad [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1215270
Comments: 7
Kudos: 287





	The Sweetest Surrender of Winter

**Author's Note:**

> The title is taken from A Father's First Spring by the Avett Brothers. 
> 
> This is based on this prompt: "I've always been honest with you."

“Peter, I’ve always been honest with you.” 

“What does that mean?” 

Tony tries to still his shaking hands. He looks away, attempting to control his expression. Peter’s a smart kid; he knows when he’s hiding something. 

“Look, our chances of getting out of this one? Slim to none.” This is beyond his worst nightmare. He’s not only trapped again—cornered in a freezing cave—he’s trapped with Peter. 

Peter clenches his jaw. “Okay.” 

“Okay. So I need you to do exactly as I say.” Without hesitation, he nods. Tony nods too, heartened by his agreement. “Kid, I need you to leave me here.” 

The thing is,  _ they _ aren’t trapped. It’s just Tony. His leg, now mangled and twisted, can’t survive a trek on rough terrain; not while they’re being pursued by mercenaries. For his sake, they ducked into a cave. Snow lines the entrance. The familiar darkness and dank smell make his chest burn. 

Peter starts, “What? No.” 

“If you want to make it home, this is the best—“ 

“Don’t start it with that—don’t  _ even _ start with the protecting-me crap. Not right now.” 

Sighing, Tony closes his eyes, “I don’t know how to break it to you, but you’re my top priority.” 

“Yeah, how do you think I feel?” 

Fear and anger make his voice sharper than Tony’s ever heard it. His leg throbs. The icy cave floor leeches his warmth; his teeth chatter. 

“Peter, you’re strong and you’re smart. You can get out of here, find help, and come back for me.” 

“You could be dead by the time I get back.” 

“Peter, we’ll both be dead if we don’t do something.” He struggles to keep calm. “There’s nothing to eat, nothing to drink, no way for me to keep you warm. And I can’t just sit here and watch you waste away.” 

Conflicted, Peter looks away. When he sniffles, Tony knows it isn’t the cold air that’s made Peter’s eyes water. He takes his hand. 

“Hey. Come on, Pete. Look at me.” Without considering it, he cleans the snot off Peter’s nose with gloved fingertips, “I’m asking you to do this because I trust you, not because I think it’ll be easy. If the roles were reversed, we both know I’d never be able to leave you here.” 

“What makes you think I can?” When his voice breaks, so does Tony’s heart. 

“Because the sooner you leave, the sooner you can come back.” 

He laughs, hanging his head. He collects himself; Tony watches as he inhales, clenches his fists, prepares to be strong enough. When Peter looks up, still crying, Tony’s left in awe. He’s the bravest person he’s ever met. 

“I’ll do it. But you better be awake when I get back.” 

“Not a problem.” He won’t close his eyes until he sees Peter’s face again. 

Desperately, Peter throws himself into Tony’s chest before he can reach out. He returns the embrace with equal fervor. What he’s asking him to do isn’t just traumatic, it’s also dangerous. But if anyone could get out of these woods and find help, it’s Peter. Before he leaves, Tony forces his own overcoat around his shoulders. Although he clearly wants to argue, Peter burrows into the warmth and exits the cave. 

They aren’t far from the nearest road. If he manages to escape undetected, help should come within hours. Despite it being his plan, Tony feels stabs of anxiety. He can’t help him; Peter’s completely out of his reach. For now, he does his best to keep his promise and stay alive until he gets back. 

Because of his leg, he’s afraid to put on the suit. He’s broken bones inside it before, and the thought of crushing his femur back into place with the armor makes his stomach turn. He uses the helmet only; although her computer was severely damaged by his earlier crash, F.R.I.D.A.Y. helps him find materials for a fire. He uses a gauntlet to create the first spark. The wood is wet and doesn’t burn well, but anything is better than nothing. Keeping the fire going is his main focus. He can’t worry about Peter. He finds more materials outside the cave entrance and manages to coax a healthy flame from them. 

As he warms, he remembers his promise through the shivers. He won’t go to sleep until he sees Peter’s face. It’s dark outside already; it must’ve been hours since he left. At this point, he’s running on faith. He fidgets with F.R.I.D.A.Y.’s communication system, knowing that without the proper tools, it’s useless. His leg screams for attention that he refuses to give it. 

As the fire burns out, leaving him with ash, he hears footsteps crunch in the snow. Exhausted, he feels his eyelids droop and hopes they’re friendly. 

“Tony?” 

He smiles, sighing at the familiar voice. Rhodey’s here—definitely friendly. He lets his body relax, flopping backward on the cave floor. True to his word, he keeps his eyes open. 

“Tony?”

“Over here.” 

Finally, Rhodey finds the cave. He follows Tony’s voice and the low light of embers. When he comes close, Tony waves weakly. 

“Tony, thank—“

“Where’s Peter?” 

“Right here.” 

As his eyes focus on Peter’s sweet face hovering above him, he realizes how close to passing out he’s been. The pain in his leg flares, yet he smiles. 

“What’d I tell ya? Sooner you leave—“

“The sooner I’d get back, I know.” He smiles too, still looking anxious and fearful. 

Slightly delirious, Tony dusts his hand across Peter’s cheek and lets his eyes close. 

  
  


He blinks awake. He didn’t realize he’d fallen asleep. The stiffness in his jaw tells him he’s been out for a while. Or maybe he’s been gritting his teeth. When he tries to turn his head, his chin knocks against something hard. Glancing down, he sees the top of Peter’s head. He’s curled into Tony’s side, tucked under his arm. He looks so small. 

He tries to lift his hand—he wants to bury it in his hair—but an IV stops him. Annoyed, he drops his head onto his pillow and sighs. The sound causes Peter to stir. The sight of him safe and warm makes the corner of Tony’s mouth twitch. 

“Hey.” 

Peter turns away, resting his head on Tony’s chest, “No.” 

“No?” 

“No. I’m  _ so _ mad at you.” 

Smiling, he rests his cheek against his hair, “You are?” 

“Obviously.” 

There’s no trace of humor in his voice, but Tony can’t help but feel light, “Sorry, Bud.” 

“No you’re not.” 

He almost agrees. Then he remembers the feeling of being separated; he remembers what he asked Peter to do. He swallows. 

“No, I—I really am sorry.” 

Noting the change in his voice, Peter sits up. He’s still under Tony’s arm, but half propped up by his elbow. He says, “You are?” When Tony nods he continues, “Normally when it comes to the whole protecting-me-thing you’re completely unrepentant.” 

Tony rolls his eyes, “Stop calling my need to take care of my kid a ‘thing’. It’s not a thing. It’s just the way it is. But I am sorry for what I asked you to do. Maybe it was for the best, but there were other ways we could’ve gotten out of there.” 

“Yeah, I thought of about nine of them on my way out.” 

He snorts, “I’m sure you thought of more than that.” When the silence has settled, he’s afraid to disturb it. He says softly, “I really am sorry. But I’m mostly just happy you’re okay.” 

“I’m still mad at you.” 

“That’s fine.” 

Peter nods. He lays back down, this time on Tony’s shoulder. They haven’t been this close since the last time Peter got hurt; it was like Tony couldn’t stop cradling him even once he was alright. They don’t talk about it. As he rests his chin on Peter’s head, he realizes they don’t need to.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think with comments and/or kudos. 
> 
> If you want to read my prompts when they're written, head to my tumblr (@loubuttons).


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